Yams, for one, grow on vines, while sweet potatoes grow underground. Ube is often confused with Stokes Purple sweet potatoes or Okinawan sweet potatoes. Advertisement. Advertisement.

Typically, yams have a tough, scaly skin, while sweet potatoes have smooth skin. True yams have skin that looks something like tree bark. Their flesh can be white, yellow, reddish, or purple.

Author, restaurateur and Food & Wine contributor Nicole Ponseca writes: "Philippine Purple Yam is a tuber almost exclusively grown in the Philippines and is otherwise commonly referred to as Ube ...

ST PAUL, Minn. — Ube has become one of 2022's trendiest ingredients. The purple yam is especially popular in the Philippines, where it's commonly used in a variety of delicious treats.

Mash the yams and potatoes. In a different pan, over medium-low heat, combine milk + ½ stick of butter until the butter is melted. Add butter and milk mixture to potatoes and yams.